Johnnie Parsons

Johnnie Parsons
Parsons, circa 1957
Born	John Woodrow Parsons (1918-07-04)July 4, 1918 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	September 8, 1984(1984-09-08) (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA Midwest Midget Car (1948) AAA Championship Car (1949) USAC Pacific Coast Midget Car (1956) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1950)
Champ Car career
61 races run over 11 years
Best finish	1st (1949)
First race	1948 Springfield 100 (Springfield)
Last race	1958 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win	1948 DuQuoin 100 (DuQuoin)
Last win	1952 Phoenix 100 (Phoenix)
Wins Podiums Poles 11 20 1
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1950 – 1958
Teams	Kurtis Kraft, Kuzma
Entries	9
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	1
Career points	12
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
First win	1950 Indianapolis 500
Last win	1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1958 Indianapolis 500

John Woodrow "Johnnie" Parsons (July 4, 1918 – September 8, 1984) was an American racing driver in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series. He was the 1949 AAA national champion, and won the 1950 Indianapolis 500.

Parsons was known as a "charger" - needing others to compete against in order to bring out the best in him as a driver - frequently moving from near the back of the grid to the front in spectacular displays of driving ability. He drove for several seasons on a team owned by Frank Kurtis, owner of Kurtis Kraft, the leading constructor of AAA Championship cars during the early 1950s.^[1]